Ferdinand h



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND II. MELA, oF NEw YORK, N. Y.

FIREPRooF PARTITION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,383, dated May 16, 1893.

Application led September 29, 1892. Serial No. 447,233. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, FERDINAND H. MELA, builder, residing in the city and countyf New York, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Fireproof Partitions, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the details, as will be fully set forth below and recited in the claims.

I erect in the line of the partition aseries of iron T-bars, applied together in pairs, the pairs arranged a convenient distance, say about eighteen inches, apart, and I extend between these pairs horizontal cylindrical rods at the same or a little greater or less distance apart, with coupling nuts for tightening, and. insert in the squares formed by thes'evvertical and horizontal parts, corresponding rectangular slabs of porous tire-proof material, as for example, terra-cotta lumber. These slabs have a thickness corresponding to the width of the compound uprights, and are rabbeted to match into the spaces between the flanges thereof. The whole is ultimately covered and the spaces well filled with suitable Inortar. I prefer coating each exposed face of vthe T-irons with gaged mortar in advance, af-

terward applying brown mortar smoothlyover both faces of the entire partition and tllling' the spaces between the several members of the partition,and afterward completing each face with hard-finish. The horizontal metallic members are cylindrical rods, screw-threaded at each end and joined by couplings, so arranged that the couplings serve as nuts to hold each upright firmly in one direction laterally, the uprights being each held in the opposite direction by the firm support derived from the fire-proof slabs. I provide for all the differences which are liable to occur in the settling of the iioors above and below.

I use the term iioor in this paper to indicate not simply the upper surface of boards or other material on which we walk, but also the beams of wood or metal which support such surfacing material, and, when present, the laths and plaster,or other ceiling material for the story below.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specication and represent what I consider the best means of carrying out the inand the upper and lower parts brought near tions on a'larger scale. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of two portions of one of the compound uprights. Fig. 5 is a corresponding vertical section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a horizontaly section on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a central vertical section through one of the channel-irons forming one of the terminal uprights. Fig. 8 is acorresponding section showing a modification in the Iirst length of the horizontalrods. Fig. 9 is on a smaller scale. It is a horizontal section through al door or shutter formed according to my invention with a channel-iron extending around the entire edge.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the igureswhere they appear. A is the loorbelow, provided with strongly secured metallic knees A; and B the under side of the fioor above similarly g provided with knees B. These serve as means by which to easily and strongly support the uprights. I will designate each complete compound hpright by D, using the same letter with super3numerals as D', D2, for the two T-irons, which are peculiarly applied together to constitute suchV upright. The T-irons in each pair forming a single upright, are applied together with their plane faces outward. The Webs of the irons D', D2, apply against or lap upon each other, and are punched with obtogether. Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive represent porof a partition, middle-height being removed lOO long holes d, gaged so as to match together. The oblong form allows a slight discrepancy in the position of the holes vertically.

E E are horizontal rods of such size that they may extend through the holes (l, making a tolerably close lit therein. They are screwthreaded at each end. as indicated at ",and form a continuous series extending from either end to the frame of the door, or if there be no door, extending the whole length of the partition.

G G are couplings receiving` these screwthreaded ends. that each coupling applies firmly against one side of the adjacent web of one of the uprights D or D2.

Il H, the., are rectangular slabs of porous brick, terra cotta, or analogous earthy tireproof material. The composition of these slabs is im portant,in order to secure mechanical st1'engtl1,tirm ness, and fire-proof qualities, with proper lightness and reasonable cost. There are many such materials known. I prefer what is sometimes called terracotta lumber, but any material possessing the requisite qualities previously worked into slabsV ofthe proper size and form, may be used. Each should be reduced a little in thickness near each upright edge in order to match approximately into the spaces provided at eachv side ofthe uprights. The upper and lower edges of these slabs may be grooved to receive the metallic horizontal parts E, but such is not generally necessary or desirable. The horizontal joint between each slab and the one above and below, requiresto be open to about the thickness of one of the horizontal bars E, in order to allow the admission of a liberal quantity of mortar in applying the brown coating.

I is the general brown coating, and I the small quantity of a proper quality of plaster known as gaged-mortar, applied in advance on the exposed faces of the uprights.

.I is the hard-finish coating. It applies uniformly over the whole ol' one or both faces of the entire partition.

The lower end of cach upright T-iron Dis `secured to the corresponding knee A by a rivet or bolt K. The holes in these parts may be cylindrical and of a diameter equal that of the rivet. The upper end of the same T- iron, is secured to the knee B of the floor above by a bolt, similarly lettered K, which extends through an elongated hole CZ, properly located to match to such rivet. The hole should be sufliciently elongated up and down to allow, say a quarter of an inch of rising or sinking of the floor B relatively to the lioor A. In a tall building many of the ioors serve as the floor B for the partition below, and also as the floor A for the partition above. The

oorbeams of middle-height iioors which are thus conditioned should have a set of knees A on the upper edge and another set of knees B under the lower edge.

One or both ends of the partition is formed construction.

The parts are so arranged with a channel-iron for the upright and the rod E may be extended through and "secured by a nut or head. I can, by such means, attach a complete length of rod E sufcient to extend to and a little beyond the adjacent up'- right, or I can attach by such means a very short length, sufiicient to receive the coupling, and all the other rods in the stretch may be of a uniform length. Fig. 7 shows the first Fig. 8 shows the last-named construction.

In erecting a partition a channel-iron at the commencement of one extreme end of the partition is set in place and firmly held, with the first lengths of each of the several series of horizontal rods set therein, and allowed to project in or near their proper horizontal positions. One T-iron D alone ofthe next upright, which I will call the second upright, is next set in position and firmly held, taking care in bringing it into place, that the several lengths E are received in 'the proper holes d therein. Next the several slabs Il are set in their required positions and temporarily held by any convenient means, as by a board held perpendicularly by braces against the free side supposed to be the face toward the workman. Now the other T-iron D2 of this second upright is brought nearly to itsrequired position andthe short projecting ends ofthe several rods E are received in the holes d therein, and this iron is brought intoposition with its web applied fairly against the correspending web of the T-iron D. New the couplings Gare applied on the screw-threaded ends and'turned by gas-tongs or other suitable means un til they press themembers D" D2 ot' the upright firmly together, and both `against the ad jacent'edges of the slabs H Whichliave been set in place. Now `the slabs are firmly held, their edges being confined between the proper parts of the T-iron of the uprightson each edge, and also firmly pressed edge-Wise by the actionof the couplings G serving as nuts. Next the entire series of uprights D being firmly set in the correct position without their accompanying parts D2, Iset the several second lengths of the rods E by inserting each through its proper hole (Z, in "the third upright. Each is slid through its proper hole in the third upright, presented to the proper coupling G and then, by gas tongsor otherwise, forcibly turned until its end is home in the coupling, 4its opposite end ex tending through the third upright in the same manner as the corresponding end of the first length extended through the second upright. Afterward the operation is a repetition of the preceding steps, that is'to say, the several slabs H are brought into position and temporarily held; then the T-iron D2 of the third upright is brought up and the short/projecting ends of the rods E received in the holes d therein, and then this T-iron islbrought into contact with its proper mate D and the proper set of couplings G is applied on the screw-threaded ends and screwed up, to in IOO IIO

` turnvreceive their proper lengths through the holes d in the next upright D, and so on.

My horizontal rods E and couplings'Gperform double or triple functionsi-rst the rods inserted through the holes in the T-iron uprights D D2, hold the two members of each upright together while allowing for any ordinary amount of inexactness in locating the holes in such uprights; and second the rods hold the slabs in place; and further the rods and couplings hold the compound uprights against any displacement of the several sets relatively to eachother.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages off'the invention. l

Other modes of surfacing than the hard-fin ish J may be adopted.

Although I call this construction a partition, and have represented it as upright, it may be held in variously inclined positions. It may, with proper changes. in the mode of holding the ends of" the compound uprights, apply under an inclined roof, or to form the main portion or the Whole of the'roof. It will serve both as afire-proof defenseand adefense against the heat from sunshine. I can even 'construct it in horizontal positions to serve as a ceiling, or a floor. This may be especially useful where it is desirable to have a large space between the ceiling of a room and the roof rafters. In all such situations the lowermost T-iron of each compound part D should be iirst placed in position and the several slabs H will be reliablylheld by gravity until the Vcompanion part is brought into position. l Thus, if D be the lowest in the horizontal or inclined struct-v ure, the slabs H will lie against the flange thereof by gravity, and keep their positions reliably until the companion part Dis brought into position and secured. I can use this construction for movable parts,as fireproof doors, and shutters for vaults, ware-houses, &c. It will be understood that for such constructions a strong frame extends around and forms the border of the door or shutter, and that my compound uprights, the horizontal bars and slabs, and the means of fastening, may be as above described, and that mortar lis applied to strongly and completely till the space within such frame.

Some of the advantages of the invention may be obtained by the 'use of certain portions without the whole; and parts may be substituted or added to all the parts which are here shown. Thus, in any or all forms of my invention, one or both faces of the partition may be veneered with wood, crimped sheet-iron, or any other suitable covering ma-v terial of a defensive or a decorative nature.

belt shafts,` hoist-ways, and wherever it is desirable to form shafts or chutes of any kind,

in a building, and to render them lire-proof. 4

The non-conducting qualities of my construction are useful in some or all positions to defend not simply against 'heat but also against cold. When my structure is used as a roof or as the walls of an out-building, it can serve not only asa defense against tire Yand against the traversingof heat from the exterior inward but also against the escape of warmth in severe weather, or in ordinary language, against the cold and frost. It may perform this function usefully in connection with hot-houses. 'f

I can make the holesd in one of the uprights round and just sufficient to receive the corresponding round rod E. I esteem it preferable that in all'cases the holes'in the other shall be long in order to allow for'slight displacement of the parts vertically relatively to each other. It is practicable with sufficient care to have the holes in both the parts round. The couplings G may be of rectangular section or hexagonal section for the convenience of turning them by a Wrench.

. I claim as my invention--4 l. A tire-proof partition y having uprights formed of Tirons in pairs arranged in reverse positions, in combination with slabs of fireproof material arranged in the spaces between with their edges matching in the recesses formed thereby and with horizontal rods E having screw-threaded ends and couplings G for `holding the uprights and slabs, as

lherein specified.i

2. A firerproof partition having uprights formed of T-irons in pairs arranged 1n reverse positions, in combination with' slabs of fire-4 proof material arranged in the spaces between With their edges matching in the recesses formed thereby and with horizontal rods E performing the double functions of holding the T-irons properly in pairs and of supporting the slabs and having screwthread- -ed ends and couplings G iilling mortar I I and surface material J, all arranged to serve substantially as herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND H. MELA. Witnesses:

M. F. BoYLn, CHARLES R. SEARLE.

IOO

IIO 

